Harry Houdini finds an ally in his fight against spiritualism, a brilliant detective called Rose Mackenberg, who’ll do whatever it takes to expose a fake. Together, the two head to ...

Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones that he promises to use in any post-mortem messaging. In 1926, Houdini’s death shocks the world, but the news that ...

Think globally, act locally, they used to say. If it’s true, why does it matter that the US has — again — withdrawn support for international co-ordination on climate change? In the mid-20th ...

Since nothing seems to be off the table when it comes to trade policy, I thought I might put forward a modest two-step trade policy reform to make America great again. Step one, levy a substantial ...

When Ernest Borgnine gets his big break in Hollywood, he can hardly believe his luck. But soon he discovers his supposed star vehicle, Marty, is not the dream gig he thought it was. In this episode of ...

This episode is released exclusively on Pushkin+. Episodes are released on the main feed each Friday. In 1998, an art gallery gets a mysterious phone call. The caller claims they have been fooled by a ...

Do we trust our fitness trackers too much? How do fraudsters gain our faith? Why do people trust podcasters? And would you trust a drug dealing nanny with a tambourine? Tim Harford is joined by trust ...

Harry Houdini is remembered today for his legendary escapes and illusions, but he also had a lifelong obsession with the paranormal. After dabbling in fake seances himself, Houdini made it his mission ...

Highbrow pleasure recently: the Royal Opera House, and Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa. The opera was first performed when the composer was 50, and it was followed by an outpouring of new music, better than ...

As a tourist, the only reasonable response to Venice’s all-consuming beauty is to gasp in admiration after rounding every corner. As an economist, another response occurs: once upon a time, this city ...